10kV SiC-based isolated DC-DC converter for medium voltage-connected Solid-State Transformers

Abstract

Silicon-carbide semiconductor technology offers the possibility to synthesize power devices with unprecedented blocking voltage capabilities while achieving outstanding switching and conduction performances. Accordingly, this new semiconductor technology is especially interesting for Solid-State Transformer concepts and is utilized in this paper for designing a 25 kW/50 kHz prototype based on 10 kV SiC devices, featuring a 400V DC output. The focus is on the DC-DC converter stage while special attention is placed on the large step-down medium frequency transformer, whereby the impact of the rather high operating frequency and high number of turns with respect to the transformer's resonance frequency is analyzed This leads to useful scaling laws for the resonance frequency of transformers in dependence of the operating frequency and construction parameters. Finally, a transformer prototype and efficiency and power density values for the DC-DC stage are presented.